STILL ALL RIGHT WHITE

 TUESDAY - Well looked out of the bedroom window the snow is back seems to be thicker than last time.

Cars and vans are getting stuck the roads are not being used so are not getting cleared and the side roads are worse I am off until Thursday . Even Ethel below looks stoney cold bless her , if any does not know I bought Ethel the Sunday morning my mother died around fifteen years ago she has been with me ever since .The roads are not too bad our street and fields close to home are still all white covered in snow , I guess  until the temperature rises it will remain all white .

Really wonder what 2021 brings what will happen during this year are we going to recover from Covid hopefully it is going to do a massive  u-tutn and will things start to get back to normal I pray that it is not going to be getting any worse .

If it does get worse do I carry on working or do I retire be so nice not to have to work , but the bills stay the same in a few years it will be different hopefully life will be easier but who knows this year could not have been predicted maybe every year from now on will be harder than the previous one .

HAPPY B DAY

 Its my partner fiancé birthday tomorrow she is a year older and I love her as much now as I did all them years ago when we meet at work for the first time . she was getting married and I was married she did later on a couple of years down the get married .We both left our partners to be together .We Have lived in seven different places , Had eight different cars , and fourteen mega Christmas days together hopefully another fourteen plus years we get to celebrate Christmas and the New Years that follow , of course there is no guarantees got to make the most of the time that we do have .

MONDAY - Helen received a pair of Ugg slippers from my daughter I bought her a pair of Ugg boots so she is now Ugged out , might get her the Ugg bag for valentines day present .She also received two bottles of pink gin so with the Christmas gin it will last her at least three years .

Downloaded the Tomb Raider Anniversary edition for my x-box one nostalgia is everything takes be back to Christmas past just need Crash Bandicoot to go with it .

To finish off we had a fish and chip tea from Compo's fish shop at Holmfirth with peas and curry .

POSITIVE I'AM NEGATIVE ?

 Boxing Day - Hopefully a chill out day planing  on doing nothing much except finally cooking our Christmas dinner , today the turkey crown as defrosted and is going to be plenty big enough for the two of us two cats and two dogs .

loving the Apple Watch roughly changing the clock face every forty minutes its so much more than just a watch .Best present guess anyone lucky receiving one for the first time are pretty much going to be chuffed to bits .

The turkey dinner was well good everything turned out great including the Yorkshire puddings the roast potatoes were done in goose fat with rosemary from the garden and a splash of vinegar salt and pepper trust me the vinegar disappears through cooking .The turkey was moist also cooked in goose fat .

SUNDAY - its a sad day today I am not writing why , I have mentioned why in a previous post written a couple of years ago hopefully both my children  ( daughter is thirty my son twenty seven ) will cope however its best for them .

Took Bailey out for his morning five minutes earlier it had been snowing now the sun was coming out but it was blowing a cold icy wind , we didn't stay out long it was nice to get back inside .Off until Thursday I have to go out Monday and get Helens birthday present .

Found out one of my staff had an heart attack she as also been tested positive for Covid , I have just tested myself and it come back negative got to say it was a long half hour hopefully my work colleague is fine and makes a full recovery wishing and praying for a speedy recovery .

MERRY XMAS

 Helen has bought me a Apple Watch SE for Christmas it was ordered of Amazon Prime and it should arrive on the 23rd .It is not only the most expensive watch I will have owned its the dearest Christmas present I have had bought I am lucky and blessed its a great gift the best thank you Helen .

The watch arrived safely it is wrapped and sitting under the Christmas tree waiting for the 25th .

Wages went into the bank finished work  at 2a.m went to Asda  bought some festive food and drinks bought two bottles of pink gin and stocked up on cat and dog food we should be ok for a while bought some fresh orange it was half past five when I went to bed and was up at nine a.m not enough sleep ,feeling tired and grumpy its Wednesday and I am off to Asda again tonight I want to be in and out.

It is sad to think this time last year there was no such thing as deaths from Covid many people have passed and will not be here to spend Christmas  hopefully they are having a great party up in heaven and looking down on us and our celebrations , as I say each Christmas next year we are going to be prepared hopefully all who read this are reading some other shit here same time next year hopefully I will be prepared but doubt it .

Christmas Eve - My daughter and her boyfriend called cooked a load of sausages and bacon and buttered a load of bread rolls and let them make their own sandwiches ,.

CHRISTMAS DAY - Set up my Apple watch Helens son Liam came with his Indian girlfriend Som I was in the car going to work at midday I was home for ten two hours left oh well might have not been where I wanted to be but at least I made it and saw Christmas thank you.

SPOOKY HOTEL

 I have recently not sure why been  drinking a lot of fresh orange juice I like a glass when I have come home after finishing my shift and have jumped into the shower at around half three in the morning it just hits the spot I think its because the hospital is always hot and wearing a face mask .

My son rang me the other day to say he has found a job he starts Monday working for a building company I hope it pans out for him and he continues in employment ,Building firms usually shut down for two weeks over Christmas it will help him out sort his money out .

SUNDAY - We went to the Durker Roods Hotel not far from where we live in the Peak District .We are doing hopefully a paranormal investigation on the 2nd of January 2021. We had a quick look round it is closed due to Covid and is getting refurb . It has over thirty rooms and  room  number 14 is the room people swear who have stayed over night have left in the morning vowing never to stay in the room again .

We want to know why simple as we are allowed in from 21.00 until 03.00 hopefully we will discover what and why ?.

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

 SUNDAY - Did nothing chill out day cooked dinner had lamb chops new pots and sweet corn was ok quicker than doing a full Sunday roast , watched some You Tube and "How To Get Away With Murder" on Netflix will see how it goes .

MONDAY - No work until Wednesday set the X-Box up in the spare bedroom needed an update started a quick game of C.O.D Modern warfare .

Went to Asda its been a while bought a new electric fryer its been a while since we had one we don't clean them out just through them out and buy new they are cheap enough although I still think a old fashion chip pan is all you need .

WEDNESDAY - Back to work I break up after I finish my Christmas Day shift I have the weekend off then three days so I am off forHelens birthday then I am back at work for a day then I have the Friday off New Years day and the weekend .

We have bought a turkey crown for Boxing Day when we will have our traditional turkey dinner .

Have had no stollen this year and no Christmas cake I have had a couple of nice pies , We usually get a Christmas chocolate log off Helen;s mum that hasn't happened this year , bought Helen a litre bottle of Bailey's . Need gin and whiskey and JD , and cider .

CHINESE CANDLES

 Need new jeans al my jeans have worn through at the crotch Helen says its because I fart too much its weekend the denim through , if that's the case why are my underpants intact and ok .

The last two pairs I bought were Jack Jones and cost £75 per pair I think this time I will just go to Next and pair a couple of pairs might buy black denim instead of blue denim will see .

Have been looking at silver spinner rings on eBay I have saved a couple might treat myself for Christmas might buy matching pairs for me and Helen.

My son is not having a great time he is struggling to find work and is getting down obviously he is not on his own and certainly a pandemic is not helping him finding employment and Christmas is a shite time to be without any money hopefully a new year will bring new luck new chances my fingers are crossed for him.

FRIDAY  - Break up for a long weekend four days off from work will do me which it was for longer have done the Euro Millions £175 million a few people would never have to work again if I won that amount of money .

SATURDAY - Helen had a couple of readings over at Linthwaite I stayed in the car in the churches carpark and watched the film Tenet I couldn't get my head round the story maybe I need to watch it again .

Went for a drive through Marsden they had their Christmas lights on saw a nice display on the river where the mini waterfall cascades down looked very festive I got out of the car and took the photo below.

We had a Chinese for the very first time since moving here in  February we had sweet and sour pork balls , fried rice , prawn toast , onion rings curried duck and fries with prawn crackers just under £22 went down a treat was a five minute drive home the food was still hot .

MORE LIGHTS

 FRIDAY - Having a unexpected day off yesterday was bliss thank God for snow taking time to rest your mind and unwind. 

 I just happen to find  out that NHS staff including front line staff , which I am not are not even going to be first inline for the Covid  Pfizer vaccine should they want it , no vaccine and no pay rise or bonus to me it sends out a loud and clear message. Hopefully we are still getting double time for working Christmas .

Taking time to rest your mind and unwind is important  we all need a little time away an holiday bur seeing as we can't go anywhere time off from work from Covid central will do .

SATURDAY - Most of the snow is gone driving is ok , we went over to Linthwaite Helen had a reading to do on the way home we stopped off and got fish and chips we ate in the car .

SUNDAY  - Helen bought a real Christmas tree for the outside at the side of the front door she also bought a stand we need to buy lights for the tree and the fence at the side of the front garden .

MONDAY - Went over to Gordon Riggings at Todmorden and bought two boxes of 10 metres long main operated pastel coloured lights managed to get them up and plugged on before it went dark , looks well .

IT'S SNOWED

 As you get older every Christmas looses some magic you stop doing things you use to look forward to doing.Advent calendars its been years since we had one hanging on the wall. Mince pies we seem to buy less each year as well as Christmas cake with marzipan puddings and stollen .Not even bought a Christmas truffle from Greggs or a festive bake it just any happening .

Used to always buy a calendar and a diary to start in the new year I but neither , don't even ask about any New Years resolutions .Christmas Boxing Day sales I have not been to any for numerous years .

One thing that's making it feel like Christmas is that it is snowing where we live I am at work and wont leave until 02.00 hopefully it is too not heavy. The garden is looking all white with a thin film of snow .

Its was my mothers birthday on the 4th of December and my father's was on the 13th of December it always made Christmas imminent Helens is three days after on the 28th and my ex wife passed away on the 27th of December so December is very eventful time .

I used to always have two weeks of at Christmas and new year , now I work on Christmas day which just kills it dead .I have not asked for anything from anyone if they decide to get me things  it is their choice there is nothing I really need or desire apart from good food cider and time off work it is all I need and some half decent things on Prime and Netflix tv.

some traditions remain we will get a over sized over priced turkey crown more than likely we will eat it on boxing day with pigs in blankets and cranberry sauce and of course everyone's favourite greens sprouts .

FRIDAY - Drive home into the snow Leeds was clear not a flake Hade Edge a different story it is white icy and slippy the Skoda Karoq a bag of shit in the snow can't risk crashing sliding into a wall or another parked up car, We drove to the post office a couple of miles away it was scary all over the road was going no more than 12 mph got some bread and cider and chocolate on getting home safe I phoned work to tell them I am snowed in which is true offered to face time my manager to show him the snow , he declined the offer .

DECEMBER TIME

 Cooked a home made lasagne with red and green peppers and half a onion. I used bread cakes to do garlic bread , I melted some butter in the microwave and added three gloves of pressed garlic and a sprinkle of parsley then all you do is cut the bread cake open and pour and brush the melted butter evenly on to each side of the bread cake you could sprinkle cheese on top but I didn't bother as I had already put loads of grated cheese on to the top of the lasagne before it went into the oven ,it  turned out great also did some slow cooked oven chips .

Need a haircut off to my daughters tomorrrow think we are ordering a Indian from the local curry house ,

We had  our hair done and we met my daughters boyfriend for the very first time a great lad he is so good compared to the dick head she use to be with he is the other side of the coin . We also had a curry we ordered it off the street I where I used to live on in Swillington it was spot on .

MONDAY - Back ay work booked some days holidays I have some long weekends and two whole weeks booked one at the end of January the other the beginning of March.

We did the garden I blasted all the patio with the jet washer and Helen planted some trees and moved some all ready planted to different spots .

Every Tim I drive trough the surrounding villages , new Christmas lights appear its like Santas grotto naked trees with coloured or white lights , stags that a full size all lite up truly amazing it makes the drive to work so much better .